Discover the practical application of X-Plane in this comprehensive book. Perfect for newcomers, it includes step-by-step tutorial flights to help you gain a basic understanding and develop your flying skills. Covering fundamental “mission-type” tutorials and addressing common questions, the book then takes you through a detailed, two-hour duration flight spanning 187 pages. This realistic and practical flight not only showcases X-Plane features but also provides solutions to any problems encountered. For additional help with setup, check out my other listed books.
This e-book is focused on the practical use of X-Plane. The setup information can be found in my other books. The book begins by using the introductory tutorial flights included in X-Plane 12 to address questions that a newcomer to X-Plane would have. As the tutorials become more complex, more explanations are added while keeping it practical and hands-on. The aim is to follow the tutorial step-by-step to gain a basic understanding of what is happening and then develop that understanding into a skill.
After completing the fundamental “mission-type” tutorials produced by Laminar Research and addressing many likely questions, the book starts an actual flight in full detail, which covers 187 pages for a two-hour flight!
The flight we are about to embark upon will not only be realistic but also practical as it will help us to effectively deal with any problems that might arise during the flight. Additionally, we will utilize X-Plane features to enhance the experience. We’ll follow a checklist, which is included with the e-book and loaded into X-Plane’s checklist system. The checklist is based on the real-world Cessna 172S and includes extra flight-related information and page references to the e-book text that’s applicable at each stage of the flight.
There are three sections:
The pages dedicated to the Laminar Tutorials just add a few questions and answers and some guidance to the existing tutorials bundled with X-Plane 12.
The Take-off and Landing tutorials go into matters much more deeply than the superficial Flight-school tutorials..
The bulk of the e-book is the detailed IFR and VFR flight from PAJN to PAKT and will cover step-by-step:
- Preflight procedures
- Starting the engine
- Filing a flight plan and creating one for the G530 moving map.
- Talking to ATC and following ATC’s instructions
- Taxiing and Take off
- Using some of the navigational instruments
- Navigating with VORs and extensive use of the CDI
- Saving and restoring a flight and the “gotchas” involved
- Sightseeing and Screenshots
- The autopilot
- Weather
- Landing without ATC in a traffic pattern in bad weather
- Checklists
- Replays
At the end of some sections, there is a genuine report by a novice X-Plane user on where he had problems and lessons that he learnt.
Length – 263 pages – 131 double-spreads.
A Checklist file is included as well.
This book is focused on how to use X-Plane 12, rather than how to set it up. The author’s approach is hands-on and encourages readers to try things out for themselves. Despite the title “Introduction…”, the book is suitable for both complete beginners to X-Plane and those who are experienced real-world pilots.
For beginners, the book takes a step-by-step approach, starting with the basics and gradually building up to more complex tasks. It’s inevitable that mistakes will be made along the way, with crashes and incorrect actions a common occurrence. However, with each restart, readers will learn more and more, eventually completing the tutorials and main flight without any issues.
For experienced pilots, the book provides a way to access the basic controls and to explore how X-Plane simulates real-world flying. Even though you may know what to do, X-Plane can still be a humbling experience. However, using the simulator can be an excellent way to keep your skills sharp when the weather is poor.
Overall, the book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn more about X-Plane and how to use it effectively.
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